OAFVC Blog

How to Expand Your Farm-to-Table Business Without Spending Too Much Money

Your farm-to-table business is established and working like clockwork. It is a well-oiled machine: you have the equipment and the know-how to continue doing what you do best. But do you ever wonder about the ‘what ifs’? What if you tried adding this ingredient to make a new version of a current popular product? What if you added new products? What if you can find the space to store the extra crops that need processing before they start to turn?

The only problem is lack of capital and a quality controlled food-safe space. Maybe you are currently maxed out with your equipment and have no room for growth without completely disrupting your current food production line. Considering the fact that new products will often bring revenue growth with them, it is not an opportunity to pass up. But until you find a commercial kitchen that has the equipment to process and store your product if needed, you are stuck. Finding a space with a quality controlled kitchen that will help expand farm-to-table business is possible — and actually affordable — if you know where to look.

Working with the Ontario Agri-Food Venture Centre (OAFVC) you will have the space to test, develop, and process large orders. You will also have a variety of storage solutions with flash freezing on-site. Experts on hand can walk you through the details of food processing while adhering to proper Canadian food safety guidelines and regulations.

4 Reasons to Use a Commercial Kitchen to Expand Your Farm-to-Table Business

Storage Solutions. OAFVC provides flash freezing, cold storage with refrigerators or freezers, and dry storage with a traceability system that makes your products easy to find.

Space. At OAFVC you will have the space to invest in product development, including testing, and the equipment to do so without exorbitant overhead expenses.

Specialized equipment. A hops pelletizer and other high-end equipment are available for client use. Hops farmers can now bring their dried hops to OAFVC to be pelletized on site and packaged: you do not need to find the capital to buy your own equipment. With the best machines on the market, you can turn your produce into a sellable product.

No long term commitment required. At OAFVC, you book when you need to, either regularly, or as infrequently as required with no obligation.